


field of stars

by hazly



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Childhood Friends, Developing Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I'm sorry not sorry, Kozume Kenma is a Good Friend, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Little Shit, M/M, Oblivious Iwaizumi Hajime, Stargazing, actually everyone’s having a crisis, he's having an iwaizumi crisis, honestly what did you expect, kuroo is a flirt, lots of feelings, oikawa has some good friends, oikawa is having a crisis, oikawa isn't having a gay crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21824272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazly/pseuds/hazly
Summary: they didn't expect their world to come crashing down with a confession and a rumor. they didn't expect that things could change so quickly.or, they learn how to grow from hardship together and they learn how beautiful the stars really are.-iwaoi, light angst with fluff
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 186





	1. revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah who needs finals week (it sucks anyways)

Inside of Oikawa Tooru’s mind, there was chaos.

He was supposed to be paying attention in class, especially with finals testing week coming up, but he couldn’t. In his head, the whole week had already passed by, and it was a Friday instead of a Tuesday. He had gotten a nice rest yesterday since there wasn’t any practice on Monday, but it only made him more restless.

Instead, he twisted his tie in between his fingers, staring blankly at the teacher in front. His leg bounced, his knee occasionally brushing the top of the desk. The classmates around him were in similar stages of boredom, some sleeping as their heads were hidden behind a propped-up textbook.

His hands itched to play, feel the cool skin of a volleyball pressed against the tips of his fingers, even for a second. Standing on the court and staring down the net. The satisfaction of a service ace. Tossing a successful pass to Iwa-chan and seeing the achieved look cast on his face.

 _Iwa-chan._

Oikawa didn’t understand why he was on his mind so often. They were going to graduate soon, and Iwaizumi was going to a different university than Oikawa, so they would be apart.

Just the thought of him being apart from his best friend made his stomach churn and heart beat faster. They had been together since early childhood, and they had practically done everything together. He would miss him more than he would ever know.

But it was something else about Iwa-chan. Not just him as his best friend and partner, but different. How his eyes beamed after a kill, the spiky yet fluffy mess of hair atop his head, and his small smile that could go unnoticed if you didn’t pay enough attention. 

And Oikawa learned that he definitely had been paying more attention to him, so much so that he got scolded for not being aware of the rest of the world around him.

The class around him stirred to life as the teacher dismissed them, and he snapped out of his trance. In a hurry to run to the club room, he gathered his belongings quickly, knocking a notebook onto the ground.

A girl from his class bent over to grab it, her fingers brushing over Oikawa’s. This resulted in a faint blush from the girl, picking up the notebook and holding it out at arm’s length to Oikawa. 

“Here!” she said.

Before he had taken an interest in Iwaizumi, Oikawa would’ve flashed his megawatt smile and strike up a conversation with the girl, eventually leading to escorting her out of the room. Today, though, he said a simple thank you and dashed out of the door and into the hallway without another word. He weaved between groups of people and apologized when he would bump into someone.

He took two steps at a time on the stairs and twisted the key in the club room’s lock. Once inside, he dropped his bag from his shoulder and plopped onto the floor, retrieving his phone from his pocket with a tired sigh. Oikawa flipped it open and saw two new texts from Kuroo, received five minutes ago.

 **Kuroo** >> I’m bored

 **Kuroo** >> I get that ur in class but talk to meee

With a huff, he dialed his number and brought it to his ear. “Ey, Oikawa!” Kuroo shouted, and Oikawa yelped at how loud he was. 

“I have a problem,” Oikawa said, once he regained his composure.

“Oh ho ho, a problem,” he drawled, “Bet you’re sad about another ex-girlfriend.”

Oikawa’s face twisted in disgust, but he had to admit that Kuroo had a point. “No, it’s not that!” he shot back, rather defensively.

“Alrighty, whatever you say. Then what is it?”

He paused, hesitant in what to tell the other man over the phone. Finally, he sighed and said, “It’s about Iwaizumi.”

The silence over the phone made Oikawa uncomfortable, and he squirmed around. “Uh, Kuroo? You still there?”

Kuroo cleared his throat and replied, “Yeah, I’m still here. So.”

“So what?” 

“What exactly about Iwaizumi is the problem?”

The tone that Kuroo was using sounded like he was trying to coax an answer out of a five-year-old child yet ridicule him at the same time. 

Oikawa slapped his hand across his face, and closed his eyes, not wanting to say it. He didn’t understand why it was so hard to admit it because with the girls he’s been with, it’s never been this complicated.

“I-I just see him differently, I guess.”

He didn’t like how his voice wavered when he talked about it. His confidence just seemed to run and hide, and Oikawa hated it.

Kuroo clicked his tongue. “You guess? Make up your mind.”

“Ok, fine. It’s just everything and,” he tugged at his hair, grasping at straws before giving up, “and I don’t know.”

“Are you gay?”

He turned red, and he felt his heart leap up into his throat. Oikawa stuttered for an answer, but nothing came up. 

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Kuroo laughed, bordering the line that was completely making fun of Oikawa.

The brunet jumped to his feet. “Stop making fun of me!” he whined and when the other wouldn’t stop laughing, he paced the club room holding his finger against his temple. His eyes scanned over the clock, knowing that the other’s wouldn’t arrive for another five minutes. 

Oikawa could imagine Kuroo’s expression over the phone, practically wiping fake tears from the corners of his eyes as he doubled over in laughter. 

“Kuroo?”

“Yeah?”

“I like Iwaizumi.”

A faint rustling was heard on the opposite end of the phone, and Oikawa assumed that he shifted the phone to press against his shoulder. Kuroo started clapping, the sound somewhat muffled.

“Congratulations, you nerd!” he cheered, sing-songy and almost mockingly.

“The whole point of me calling you was for you to help me with this dilemma, not tease me.”

Kuroo hummed, “I’m pretty sure I did both of the above. And hey, I’m always this kind.”

“Uh-huh. Sure you are,” he muttered before ending the call and tossing the closed phone into his backpack. Oikawa changed into clothes suitable for practice and headed to the gym to stretch.

Practice went by relatively quickly. The team went through one of those days where they fell into a rut and worked to get over it. Kindaichi and Makki commented on his sets, giving criticisms for each play. 

Like usual, Iwaizumi and Oikawa walked home together after practice. The sun had already set an hour ago, remnants of bursts of color still remaining in the sky. Stars had come out, the moon hidden by clouds.

“Look at the stars, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi commented, head tilted upwards to gaze at the sky.

Oikawa followed suit and smiled as he looked up at the twinkling orbs, some covered by opaque clouds. When he brought his head down, he found himself turning to look at Iwaizumi.

Surprisingly, Iwa wasn’t looking at the stars, but at him. Their gazes met, and Iwaizumi looked away quickly, choosing to look down at the pavement instead.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, getting his attention, “there’s supposed to be a meteor shower, this Saturday.”

“Ah, that sounds interesting,” Iwaizumi commented.

Oikawa was about to propose something, but the two of them turned the corner and onto Iwaizumi’s street, and he pushed the gate open to his house. 

“Night, Oikawa.”

He headed into the house, the door slowly shutting behind him. Oikawa stood, feet seemingly plastered to the sidewalk underneath him, and watched as Iwaizumi disappeared. He tucked his hands into his pockets and turned. 

“Yeah, goodnight.”

-

As he flopped into his bed that night and pulled the comforter up to his chin, Oikawa had an idea. It seemed so elaborate that it made his head spin just at the thought of it. One thing was for sure though, he was going to put way more effort into this than he ever has with anyone else.

He was going to tell Iwaizumi that he liked him.

It was going to be at the meteor shower, and they would lay in the field that they had always played in as kids. He would bring a picnic blanket along with some of the snacks Iwaizumi loved, and as the stars shot overhead, he would confess.

Oikawa knew that there was a large possibility that Iwa-chan didn’t reciprocate the same feelings for him, or even worse, be straight. He buried his head into his pillow, not wanting to accept that possibility.

His phone buzzed repeatedly on the table next to him, and he peeked out to stare at it. Oikawa pulled his arm out from under the sheets and snatched it off of the nightstand, turning it on silent.

Oikawa turned onto his side, breathing becoming steady as sleep got the best of him, the glow from the hallway the last thing he saw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah this is my first shot at a multi-part story for this ship. stay tuned, and kudos and comments are really appreciated!! <3
> 
> ~~sorry not sorry for promoting~~


	2. numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> feelings suck sometimes.  
> -  
> in which both iwaizumi and oikawa learn the truth.

As far as Oikawa was concerned, it was a perfectly normal morning. The sun had risen at the same time as usual (surprise surprise), he skipped breakfast again, and the streets were quiet as he began his walk to school. The occasional car zoomed by him every once in a while, making his cowlick wave around on top of his head.

He hummed a catchy song that was new on the radio and added a little skip to his step. Since he told Kuroo about his little crush on Iwaizumi yesterday afternoon, his happiness was contagious, smile larger and more genuine than usual. 

Just being able to get it off of his chest was incredibly relieving, but his head still was on overdrive, planning out the confession minute by minute. The smallest possibility of being rejected was pushed to the back of his mind, only staying optimistic.

A flapping shop sign caught his attention, and he peered through the window. Oikawa pushed the door open and the woman behind the desk greeted him with a cheery tone, and he waved back in response before moving to browse the aisle. Oikawa grabbed a package of milk bread and proceeded to pay for it up at the front and then continued on his way to school.

It wasn’t long before he arrived at Aoba Johsai. Oikawa tore at the plastic package and munched on the bread rolls. As he walked through the hallways, he earned many sympathetic glances and prolonged stares. 

Confused, he looked around him cautiously and brought the bread to his lips again, biting off a large chunk of the airy food. People continued to look at him with an off-air about them, and Oikawa wanted to ask the nearest person what was happening because he didn’t understand. It was like there was a joke about him that nobody filled him in about.

“Oikawa!” 

Oikawa turned and saw Hanamaki and Matsukawa jogging to meet him, bags swinging at their sides.

“Ah, hello, Makki and Mattsun,” he greeted, “what’s up?”

Matsukawa scrunched his bushy eyebrows together. “What do you mean, what’s up? Are you okay? Haven’t you checked your phone?”

The brunet laughed flippantly and pushed at Matsukawa’s shoulder jokingly. “Slow down, Mattsun. I’m fine, as you can see,” he waved his food around, sending a few crumbs loose and falling towards the floor.

Makki nodded next to him and said, “We texted you a lot yesterday. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, still keeping his collected manner even with Oikawa’s unserious attitude.

“Well, I haven’t looked at my phone since I came back from practice yesterday,” Oikawa commented, reaching into the back of his bag to retrieve it. “Ooh, bet I have some new admirers~”

When Oikawa’s head was turned away and his focus was towards finding his phone, Hanamaki and Matsukawa shot each other concerned glances, but quickly changed faces when Oikawa turned around. 

They kept walking until they reached Oikawa’s classroom, Mattsun staying uncharacteristically quiet. No jokes or any form of teasing was heard from his at all, and Oikawa was happy about it and weirded out at the same time. The missing phone was now tucked into Oikawa’s pocket, still not checked.

“Now, why are you two so concerned about me?”

They exchanged glances and Hanamaki took a deep breath before started an explanation. “Well, um,” he fumbled around for the right words to say but was cut off by the girl who picked up Oikawa’s notebook from yesterday.

“Oi-Oikawa-san! I’m very sorry,” she called, getting the attention of not only the three boys standing in the doorway of Oikawa’s classroom but also lingering students socializing in the hallways.

“Hm?” Oikawa turned at the mention of his name, irritation beginning to show on his face, but the smile still stayed. It only made the gesture more intimidating.

The girl sunk into a low bow, long pigtails barely brushing the ground. Oikawa took a step back, surprised at the sudden gesture. Makki and Mattsnu snickered behind him, thinking that this was another girl that had a hopeless crush on the flirt.

This only increased his confusion, and he questioned her, “Ahah, I’m so flattered,” he tugged at his hair, and puffed out his chest slightly, “but I’m sorry, my sights are set on another.”

She rose from her bow, cheeks tinted a deep red. 

“No!” she exclaimed a little too quickly, which made startled Oikawa, “You mean you don’t know?” she stumbled over her words, dodging eye contact as it became more awkward.

Oikawa shook his head and crossed his arms across his chest, taking a larger stance. 

“A-ah. Well,” the girl fiddled with her fingers, “I accidentally overheard your conversation on the phone yesterday.”

It took him a few seconds to fully understand where this was going.

He wanted to shake her, shout at her to stop.

“And I accidentally mentioned it to my friends that,” she paused, uncomfortable, “that you like Iwaizumi-san.”

Oikawa felt his thoughts slipping away, his mind becoming fuzzy. His ears rang, heart drumming in his chest. He tuned out, seeing her mouth moving, seeing the people around him watching, seeing them as they bore holes into him with all the staring. Oikawa just wasn’t listening anymore. 

He couldn’t find it in himself to listen.

The girl stopped, dipped into a bow again and ran down the hall. Oikawa felt a hand clasp around his shoulder, shaking it gently. 

“Hey. Hey, Oikawa,” Matsukawa said, moving in front of Oikawa’s line of sight.

Makki appeared at Matsu’s side. “You okay?”

Oikawa swallowed thickly, voice cracking as he assured his friends and teammates that he was fine. The flirty tone that usually laced his voice was gone, replaced by sadness. The two knew better than to press the issue, so they patted his shoulder and then headed in the other direction, parting with a sympathetic gaze.

The air around Oikawa seemed to stir back to life, on-lookers resuming their conversations with their friends and turning their attention back to schoolwork. He slid into his chair, pulling his phone from his pocket and flipping it open for the first time since yesterday. 

A thread of texts appeared, most along the lines of _hey, u ok??_ and _wait is it rlly true_ Oikawa nested his head into the crook of his arm and hid his face. 

After more scrolling, he came upon two missed calls along with a text from Iwaizumi, his contact saved under “ **iwa-chan (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ** "

He clicked it and read the message. Oikawa’s texts were more causal, littered with kaomoji and exclamation points. 

**iwa-chan (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ** >> Call me when you can.

Oikawa’s heart sunk. He knew. Iwaizumi knew from the rumor and not him.

It _hurt_ , dammit.

It hurt so much that numbness seeped through Oikawa’s veins, covering up the feelings that were too much for him. Oikawa wanted to scream, and sob because it wasn’t her place to tell, it was his.

That was his secret, not hers.

The teacher pushed the door open and the class president rose, along with everyone else to bow and greet her. She settled into a rhythm of teaching, and some classmates pulled out materials and started taking notes. 

As far as Oikawa was concerned, this was a shitty day. 

The numb and uncaring attitude was kept throughout the whole day as he trudged to each of his classes. Volleyball practice rolled around, and he still put out his best effort into it, not letting the fiasco affect his playing.

The hardest thing, though, was not talking to Iwa-chan. 

It was a hard habit to break, not tossing to the ace, followed by a quick “Iwa-chan”.

Iwaizumi looked at him multiple times, during a conversation, after a play, basically whenever he could. Oikawa resisted the urge to look back at him, walk up to him and explain everything. "Maybe later", he thought, "just not now."

But he needed space. Talking to Iwaizumi directly after what happened this morning wasn’t going to help him much. If anything, I would mess up his head more.

“Um, Oikawa-san?” Kindaichi said, hand at the back of his head, “could you make your tosses a bit higher, please?”

Oikawa smiled, the action done out of habit. “Sure.” 

Iwaizumi clapped his hands together to get the attention of his teammates. “Alright, let’s clean up now!”

They all responded with a yes and moved to start collecting the balls littered on the gym floor. Oikawa moved towards Kunimi and Kindaichi, who were taking down the net. 

“Leave that up, please.”

Kindaichi gave him a confused look and Kunimi shrugged and then left to help with another aspect of cleaning. 

Eventually, all of the team headed out, the loud echoes of the gym now gone. Hanamaki pulled on his shoes and waved goodbye to Oikawa and Iwaizumi, who were the last ones left. 

Oikawa wheeled over a ball cart to the end of the court, ignoring Iwaizumi’s watching eyes. He bounced the ball with his usual serve routine, taking a deep breath before sending it flying across the court. Oikawa repeated this at least five times before bending over to take a breath. He shook it off quickly and served another one.

A smug smile appeared on his face, the serve hitting directly on the end line.

All of his pent up anger was put into his serves, palm slapping on the volleyball, watching mid-air as it soared over the net. He tossed up another one.

“Tch,” he muttered under his breath as the serve went out. 

Iwaizumi, who was sitting casually on the bleachers, looked up from his phone and took into note the number of volleyballs on the opposite side of the net. He stood and made his way towards the court, dragging an empty ball cart behind him.

Oikawa didn’t pay attention to this and continued with his serves. They worked like that, no words were spoken between them, just the sound of flesh on a volleyball and the squeaking of shoes. Iwaizumi bent over and tossed each ball into the court with a thud. Oikawa picked up the last ball in the cart and jumped, hitting the ball out.

The rest moved in slow-motion. 

On landing, Oikawa felt his overworked knee buckle and pop underneath him, the thin support not doing much to prevent it from twisting. He yelped in pain as he crumpled to the floor in a heap of bones and muscle.

“Shit!” he cried, clutching his knee.

Iwaizumi turned suddenly at the sound, eyes widening when he saw Oikawa on the ground. He abandoned the ball cart that he was holding and ran over to Oikawa.

His eyes were glued shut as his knee throbbed, the support squeezing it tighter.

“Dumbass,” Iwaizumi muttered, “What the hell did you do now?”

Oikawa strained his voice to respond, starting with a forced laugh. “It’s nothing, Iwa-chan.” He did nothing as he let Iwaizumi inspect his knee, wincing as he gently tugged off the white support. The skin was slowly starting to turn red, and it was noticeably larger than his other knee due to the swelling.

Iwaizumi scoffed, knowing very well that it wasn’t nothing.

“Stay here, okay?”

“Not like I can walk anywhere.”

Iwaizumi glared at him, making Oikawa shut up. He disappeared into the storage room, coming back with a medical kit. Oikawa pushed himself up to sit, propping his arms up behind him. Iwaizumi shook an instant ice pack, wrapping it in gauze before pressing it to the brunet’s knee.

He sucked in a breath at the light pressure and cool temperature. Iwaizumi and Oikawa didn’t exchange any words. The pain started to subside with the numbness of the cold pack, but it was still swelling, though.

“You okay to walk?” Iwaizumi asked.

“No, I feel like it’s going to collapse underneath me if I try,” he said regretfully, knowing that there was no way that he could go back to volleyball for a while.

Iwaizumi tsked and removed the ice pack from Oikawa’s knee. Oikawa wiggled sweatpants over his legs, the fabric brushing over the bruised skin. He extended his arm towards the injured man, and slowly pulled him up from the ground. Oikawa groaned as he put a slight amount of weight on it, and fell forward into Iwaizumi’s arms. He was in too much pain to care, but he still noticed the firm chest pressed against his cheek and the strong arms holding him up.

Oikawa slung an arm around Iwaizumi’s shoulders, entrusting most of his weight to his best friend.

Iwaizumi grunted as he shifted, pulling Oikawa’s arm higher. “You’re heavy, trashykawa.”

“Mean, Iwa-chan!”

They started walking, Oikawa limping with his bag slung around his shoulder. 

“We’ll walk to your house.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me at your house?” he cocked his eyebrows suggestively, resulting in a smack to the head.

“Shut up.”

“Aw, okay~”

Occasionally, they took a break, Iwaizumi tired from carrying his bag and Oikawa’s weight. Oikawa slumped against the wall, balancing on one leg as the other took a breather. It wasn’t much farther until they arrived on his street.

He pulled the gate and door open, hopping on one foot as he pulled off his shoe, leaning against the wall to pull off the other. Iwaizumi held him steady and helped him up the stairs.

“I’m gonna go change,” Oikawa said, his back facing Iwaizumi as he grabbed clothes from his dresser. He nodded, and the brunet hopped across the hall to his bathroom.

He reemerged in a fresh set of clothing, and flopped onto his bed, pushing a pillow under his knee to elevate it.

“Now, Iwa-chan, what would-“

“Oikawa,” he cut him off, resulting in a confused glance from the injured man.

“Are the rumors true?”

It wasn’t often that Oikawa had a loss for words or stuttered much, but Iwa’s overpowering presence made him lose all focus. Bright olive eyes stared him down, and Oikawa felt his breathing become unsteady when he was faced with the truth.

“Yeah.”

Iwaizumi looked surprised and before Oikawa confirmed it, he was thinking that it was a joke. He stayed silent for too long, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Oikawa’s face fall, but a hopeful smile still remained.

“I’m sorry.”

Oikawa only smiled at his words. “It’s ok. I kinda expected that anyways.” He sat on his bed, looking down at his hands and the ice pack balancing on his knee. Looking anywhere but Iwaizumi, because he knew that he might break down if he faced him.

Iwaizumi stood, gripping the doorknob lightly before he turned to look at the defeated other. 

“Hey,” he started, making Oikawa look up at him with sad, chocolate brown eyes, “You’ll always be my best friend, okay?”

He smiled again, even though he was rejected.

“That’s the problem, Iwa-chan.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

And then he disappeared behind the door, leaving Oikawa alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as far as i'm concerned, feelings suck and so does school
> 
> leave kudos n comments if you want (i'll appreciate it)
> 
> -
> 
> also! the new haikyuu chapter is rlly good and i can't even bc u see everyone and they're all so baby and i missed them and ah i'm rambling


	3. mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after iwa's rejection, oikawa is a mess.  
> -  
> in which oikawa goes to some good friends and iwaizumi stays alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come! get! your! juice!
> 
> srry this chapter took longer than usual, there was a lotta holiday stuff. hope everyone had a fun holiday season!

Oikawa’s knee hurt. Badly.

He squinted his eyes closed as he threw back another dose of painkillers, the bottle rattling as he tossed it back into his bag. The brunet sighed, leaning backward in his chair, balancing on the back two chair legs. 

But yet, his knee wasn’t the only thing that was hurting.

His heart drummed in his chest, emotion taking over his mind and tackling his thoughts. A sudden shock overwhelmed him as Matsukawa thundered up to him, pushing his chair down and making him suddenly push up on his knee.

“Ah! Dammit, Mattsun!” he exclaimed as he bent over, swiping his crutch up from the floor.

Matsukawa rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish but not completely apologetic look. “Sorry.” The two walked over to the door, exiting the classroom. Oikawa’s crutch clicked on the tiled floor and Matsukawa’s steady strides slowed to keep the same pace as his friend. They passed by many students, their lively chatter filling the hallways. 

“Are you going to practice?” Mattsun asked, but was greeted with a dismayed look.

“I wish,” Oikawa whined, “I’ve been working on my jump serves and now I can’t even play.”

Matsukawa tsked and pulled at the uniform tie under his blazer. “How long ‘til you can play again?”

The other took a few to think the question over, eventually responding with an exasperated sigh. “About two to four weeks is what the doctor said.”

“Damn, that sucks.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said with a drawl, completely unhappy with the situation. Oikawa cocked an eyebrow and looked at his friend with suspicion. “Why aren’t you making fun of me?”

Matsukawa blinked, “Because it’s not funny?”

Oikawa looked satisfied with his answer, playfully punching him on the arm with a bubbling laugh. The other leaned and instinctively pushed back, grinning. Oikawa’s balance was set off and he yelped in surprise before colliding with a student in the hallway.

He apologized profusely and received a blinding blush from the girl he ran into, quickly hobbling away before she could say anything more. Matsukawa only pointed a finger and teased him about the situation all the way to the gym, to which Oikawa waved off and repeated “mean!” over and over again.

They arrived at the open gym doors, a few people from the team starting to set up the net and stretch together. Iwaizumi stood on the far end of the court, chatting casually with Hanamaki. He looked up and his olive eyes pierced through Oikawa, a sudden wave of new emotions overtaking him. 

Oikawa turned away from the entrance, ignoring the long strides that Iwaizumi was making to meet with him. Hanamaki looked at him confusedly and let him go.

“You’re not gonna stay?” Mattsun questioned, moving out of the way of the hobbling teenager, who was quickly attempting to run.

“Nah,” he threw over his shoulder, “I have somewhere to be.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow,” Matsukawa called.

With his free hand, Oikawa waved without facing him again and turned the corner abruptly. He let out a breath that he didn’t even know that he was holding and leaned against the wall, ignoring the few students that were walking past him.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and shot out a quick text to Kuroo saying that he’d be over. The other didn’t respond, so he assumed that Kuroo was still in practice. Oikawa purchased a ticket to Tokyo and sighed in anticipation for the long train ride. The trip was sudden, and Oikawa was glad that it was a Friday. If anything, he could tell Kuroo to take him and Kenma to an open field to watch the meteor shower.

Oikawa only smirked when he thought about setting Kuroo and Kenma up to watch the stars. He could drag them out, make some lame excuse about his knee hurting, and then watch it from somewhere else. It wouldn’t be too hard to find an empty spot.

His heart ached again at the thought of confessing to Iwaizumi at the meteor shower, which was what his original plan was going to be until the girl from his class messed it up without even knowing. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair and turned as a middle school girl standing near him squealed.

All these people he didn’t even know wanted him, but the one person that he loved didn’t even love him back.

Later, Oikawa boarded the shuttle, plopping down onto an empty seat and setting his crutch and backpack down next to him. An older woman settled near him and pulled out a newspaper to read. Oikawa settled into his chair with a heavy sigh. The consistent rattling of the train lulled him to sleep.

Oikawa woke an hour and a half later, sun focusing directly on his eyes through the glass window. He groaned as he moved his neck, sore from the odd sleeping position. The phone in his pocket buzzed and he flipped it open, the digital clock reading 5:36, with a new message from Iwaizumi.

 **iwa-chan (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ** >> Hey, trashykawa. Can we talk later? I can meet you at your house. 

**oikawa** >> i’ll be at a friend’s house in tokyo til tomorrow. maybe later iwa-chan~

Oikawa can practically imagine the small “tch” that comes after most of Iwaizumi’s sentences, especially after the text he just sent.

“Only forty-five minutes to go,” Oikawa thought, pulling out a book from his bag to study. He took one look at the front page and shut it, not wanting to study. Even if he did, his mind would definitely wander anyways.

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, he was on the doorstep of Kuroo’s house, raising a fist to knock on the door. Oikawa tapped on the door, greeted with Kuroo’s smile and messy bedhead a few moments later.

His half-lidded eyes looked at Oikawa up and down, catching at the crutch at his side and eyebrows wrinkling in confusion but yet mischief at the same time. 

“What the hell happened to you?”

“Sprained it. Can I go in or am I stuck outside?” Oikawa said, gesturing towards the living room behind the door. 

“Mm, I’ll think about it,” Kuroo replied before shutting the door with a small slam.

Oikawa stood, befuddled and was about to let out a string of curses before the door swung open again, Kuroo standing out of the way to let him in. As he passed, Oikawa smacked Kuroo’s shin with his crutch, the other only wincing for a second.

“I hate you.”

“Noted.”

The brunet walked to Kuroo’s room with the other trailing behind and pushed the door open with his free hand.

His eyes widened in surprise to see Kenma sitting cross-legged on the bed, bleached hair hanging in front of his face. The smaller teen was furiously tapping away at his phone, only taking note that there was a visitor after Kuroo cleared his throat.

Kenma looked up, pools of gold in his eyes striking Oikawa immediately. 

“Hey Oikawa,” he nodded and then quickly looked back at his phone to avoid eye contact. 

He noted the empty futon already set up on the floor, so Oikawa assumed that Kenma was planning to sleepover.

Oikawa tossed his bags onto the carpet, situating himself on the bed, Kenma shifting at the sudden dip. He stood, bare feet gently padding to the bedroom door. An old sports jacket that was clearly too big for his small frame hung loosely over his shoulders and bunching at the sleeves. 

After seeing him, Oikawa resisted the urge to smirk and start teasing Kuroo for it, but he stopped, knowing that it wouldn’t be good for Kenma. The last time that Oikawa had outwardly made fun of the bleached blond, his anxiety spiked.

“I’ll go get some tea,” he said quietly and Kuroo mumbled a “thanks” before Kenma disappeared behind the door.

Oikawa pointed to where Kenma was standing, a smile tugging at his lips. “Isn’t that your jacket?”

Kuroo grinned. “Yeah. He said he didn’t want to walk to his house to get one so I gave him mine.”

“Bet you like him~” Oikawa cooed with a sing-songy tone.

“Haha, you got me.”

Oikawa was about to force him to go into detail because no, it was illegal to lead on your best friend with something like that but Kenma stepped back into the room, holding out a glass of tea for Oikawa. He accepted it, cold mist making him shiver. 

“Ok,” Kuroo started, “What’s up? Why are you here?”

Kenma turned his attention back to the game he was playing, sitting silently next to Kuroo. He only moved to bring the glass of water to his lips. 

Oikawa’s heart fell. Again. 

“I didn’t get to confess to Iwa-chan.”

“Why is that a bad thing?” Kuroo was confused, “You can always do it tomorrow or whenever you’re ready.”

“Kuroo. I didn’t get to confess because someone else told him about it before I got the chance to. And of course he-“ Oikawa broke off, burying his head in his arms.

“He what?”

“He doesn’t like me.”

Kuroo opened his mouth to speak, but a soft but monotonous reply from Kenma interrupted him. “He might just be overwhelmed. All of a sudden, he hears that his best friend likes him indirectly. And added that Iwaizumi is incredibly dense.” His voice was low, eyes still fixated on the flashing game.

“I’ve known him for a long time and he’s never been like this before,” Oikawa whined, muffled from his sleeves.

“It’s not like he’s been in this situation before,” the bleached blond replied.

Normally, he would protest against this and complain, especially with Kuroo, but he knew that Kenma was right. When Oikawa raised his head from his arms and rubbed his eyes, he was greeted with a smug smirk of pride from Kuroo.

“Never thought I’d see the day Oikawa actually fell for someone,” Kuroo sighed, wiping fake tears from the corners of his eyes.

“Shut up!”

“I’d rather not.”

“How does Kenma even put up with you on a daily basis? ” Oikawa asked, rubbing at his temples.

He shrugged. “It’s because he loves me anyway. Right?” Kuroo poked at Kenma’s side and he recoiled from the touch and turned his attention away from his phone to wrinkle his eyebrows at his friend.

“It’s not that I love you, I just deal with you,” Kenma said plainly, placing the phone to his side.

Kuroo feigned hurt, hand clutched to his chest in a fake show of sadness.

Oikawa laughed loudly, glad to move on from the topic of Iwa. Kuroo opened a cabinet next to his TV and pulled out three controllers. “Mario Kart, anyone?”

Kenma perked up at the mention of a game, holding out his hand to grab the remote. “I’ll play.”

He started the game, and a few rounds in, Kenma was winning every single round without a sweat. The bedhead teen and the brunet started a rivalry, making sure to ram into each other whenever they passed on the track. Trash talk was eventually started by Oikawa, only adding more fuel to the fire.

“Kenma!” Kuroo cried as the trophies were presented again for the winners, Kenma winning first, “Let us choose the track for once.”

He scoffed, “I’ll win anyways but okay.”

Oikawa grinned widely. “I’m gonna win this time.”

“You’ve been saying that for the past five rounds.”

“Not the point!”

The sun sunk lower into the sky, the light that was previously spilling through the open blinds now gone. Oikawa had left to take a shower and Kenma and Kuroo went to the kitchen to grab some dinner. Kuroo’s parents came home from work, not at all surprised to see another teenager other than Kenma roaming their house, greeting them all happily.

The trio then holed themselves back into Kuroo’s room with their new stash of snacks and a movie. Oikawa had somehow managed to convince the other two to watch a Disney movie after they had plainly refused to watch another alien documentary. Kuroo had pulled Kenma into his arms, the bleached blond initially shying away from the touch, but eventually settling himself into Kuroo’s grasp.

Oikawa didn’t remember much after, because he fell asleep.

-

It was either really late at night or early morning when he woke, not able to tell what time it was. The clock on the nightstand read 3:18. Oikawa sat up to adjust his blankets that he had kicked off sometime in the night, eye-catching on the two sleeping figures in the bed.

The comforter and sheets had been set astray. Kenma was curled into a ball, his back pressed against Kuroo’s chest. Kuroo’s arms were draped across the blond’s body and they breathed lightly in sleep. Oikawa was definitely going to have fun telling his best friend all about this in the morning. 

He flicked on the light, parting that it wasn’t going to wake either of them up. Oikawa snapped a quick picture and made sure to make a mental note to send it to Kuroo later after he left. 

Oikawa snickered, then settled back into the futon, hoping to catch at least a few more hours of sleep.

-

It was a sunny afternoon, and Iwaizumi definitely didn’t expect that he would be sitting inside of a train station coffee shop. It was especially unbelievable because he was looking out the window, sipping a coffee, waiting for Oikawa.

To say that Iwaizumi felt bad about his indirect rejection to his best friend was an understatement. It was the type of thing that he would continue to beat himself up about until someone snapped him out of it. 

Iwaizumi debated texting the other about it, even subtly asking what time the train he was taking back would arrive, but he knew that it would mean more if it was a complete surprise on his end. He shook the empty cup, and sighed as he threw his second drink in the trash. Another train pulled into the station, this time arriving from Tokyo. 

This was one of the last shuttles scheduled to come from the city, so he hoped that his best friend was aboard the train. His belongings were already packed and at his side, ready to catch Oikawa if needed.

A familiar mop of brown hair appeared within the emerging crowd of people, somewhat standing taller than most. Iwaizumi pushed back his chair hastily and stood in front of the exiting group, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Oikawa was looking down at his phone but as soon as he was fully out of the crowd, he looked up.

Startled eyes met Iwaizumi’s and Oikawa raced over to meet his friend.

“Iwa-chan? What are you doing here?”

“It’s nothing.”

Iwaizumi reached down and grasped Oikawa’s hand in his, tugging at it lightly to another section of the train platform. Oikawa looked at Iwa’a face, their intertwined hands, and then back at his face. He was almost giddy from the small gesture but surprised at the same time.

“But Iwa-“

“Do you trust me?” 

“Yes, of course I do! Where are we going?” Oikawa, confused, searched Iwaizumi’s expression for any hint as to why he was suddenly like this, or what he was planning to do.

“You’ll figure out soon enough.”

Oikawa nodded, and then he was being pulled along by Iwaizumi to a place that he only knew where. Iwaizumi went slower to accommodate Oikawa’s injured state but still tugged at his hand excitedly.

He let himself in the care of his best friend, following him wherever he went. 

He did trust him, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok but i love kuroken and everything about it so i added some fluff w/ them
> 
> well thanks for reading,, leave kudos n comments if you want (i'll love it if you do)


	4. maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> iwaizumi knows him. so he knows that oikawa would love this.  
> -  
> in which they learn how beautiful life can be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the end but only the beginning
> 
> thanks for everyone who's been sticking around since i started this. hope y'all enjoy :))

Iwaizumi knew that he messed up.

From the moment that he started to utter the phrase, “I’m sorry,” he knew that it was probably one of the biggest lies he’s ever told. No, scratch that, it was for sure the biggest lie that he could possibly think of.

He’s liked Oikawa for years now. Maybe it’s something that he’s realized back in junior high, but it feels like he’s had this feeling for Oikawa since he’s met him. It was a fuzzy feeling, something that he believed was just a friendship kind of thing, but then it clicked. As he watched couples pass him by every day, he couldn’t understand what the difference was with that and friendship. Then he learned. 

Friendship wouldn’t have him burning with a hint of jealousy every time he saw Oikawa with a new girl. Friendship wasn’t trying to deny romantic feelings for your best friend. So he stopped pushing it in the back of his head and accepted it. And from there on out, he liked Oikawa.

When they graduated, Iwaizumi saw him in high school, how he interacted so freely with the admirers that pestered him daily, how he seemed so happy with their attention. He held on for about a year, watching Oikawa get into a relationship after relationship. He had even started to lose count of how many girls that Oikawa had been with.

Then, he gave up.

It was clear that his feelings were never going to be reciprocated, so he moved on. 

However, it changed two nights ago. When Oikawa confessed or confirmed the truth with Iwaizumi, the feelings came back. They swarmed him so suddenly that he needed space. Some time to think.

At the same time though, he couldn’t understand why he said that in the first place. At the moment he was overwhelmed by the sudden situation. Sure, he’s been in situations where he was much more overwhelmed than that in volleyball, but this was different. 

He knew that he had to fix this. 

So if Iwaizumi was asked at the beginning of the day what he would be doing in the afternoon, he would have shrugged and responded that he was going to stay home. 

Iwaizumi definitely didn’t expect that he would be sitting on a train headed to a quiet area away from the city next to Oikawa. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, looking up from his book held in his lap. His lashes cast a long shadow on his cheeks.

“Yeah?”

“Should I be worried that you’re going to kidnap me?” Wide chocolate brown eyes gazed at Iwaizumi, feigning innocence with a simple question.

The woman sitting across from the two gave Iwaizumi a wary look and subtly tried to reach for the phone tucked into her jacket need if anything went wrong. 

“Oikawa! Why would you even say that?” he exclaimed, making sure to get the point across that he wasn’t doing anything bad, just trying to surprise his impatient best friend.

“You should know I hate surprises,” Oikawa whined, head lolling back and exposing a slender and pale neck. Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, and he didn’t realize that he was staring at the blank expanse of skin until Oikawa poked his shoulder.

“Ah, well you’ll just have to wait, I guess.”

“That’s the part I don’t like!”

“Stop complaining, Oikawa.”

Despite the serious statement, the small smirk on Iwaizumi’s face contrasted what he said. They settled into silence again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or felt like it needed to be filled, more like a peaceful time that didn’t need any words. Iwaizumi and Oikawa had had this multiple times before, and not one of them minded a bit.

They arrived half an hour later (and according to Oikawa Tooru, they were the “longest thirty minutes in his whole life”). Iwaizumi, like always, brushed off his meaningless complaints and occasionally punched him in the shoulder, to which Oikawa wailed about dramatically until he calmed down. 

Iwaizumi wandered aimlessly around the towns, using his phone as guidance to their destination, and Oikawa trustfully hobbled next to him, trying to sneak a peek at the other’s phone. He jerked back every time, and Oikawa would remind him for the fiftieth time that evening that he hated surprises and wanted to know where they were going. 

As the brunet started to sigh in exasperation, Iwaizumi stopped in front of a fast-food restaurant, pulling open the door. The smell of fried food swarmed them instantly. Oikawa turned, eyeing all of the options before stepping in line.

“No, Oikawa get out of line,” Iwaizumi tugged at his arm, pulling him out of the line, letting the group of people take his previous spot. 

“Wait why?” At this point, Oikawa looked like he was going to burst from confusion and exasperation. He wanted to know what Iwaizumi was up to.

Iwaizumi gestured at the online order pickup station. “I already ordered some food for us. It should be ready any minute.”

He held up a finger and tapped at his phone to confirm that he arrived at the restaurant. “And yes, I made sure to get you something that you would like before you complain.”

“Iwaizumi-san!” a teen working behind the counter held up a paper bag with a receipt taped to the front. 

He claimed their bag of food and glanced down at his glowing watch. His eyes widened in surprise and turned to the various windows. 

“Is something wrong, Iwa-chan?”

“We gotta hurry if we wanna make it in time!” Iwaizumi called, already at the door and swinging it open, the flimsy takeout bag stuffed in his backpack. He held the door open for Oikawa, looking in the direction of the setting sun, darkness beginning to overcome them.

They walked for another few, Iwaizumi speed walking and occasionally dropping behind to stay next to Oikawa. Iwaizumi stopped suddenly when they came across the entrance of a hiking trail and cried out in accomplishment. “We made it! Finally!”

He huffed out a breath and rested his hands in his knees, backpack catching at the hem of his shirt and tugging it upwards. Oikawa was unamused.

“A hiking trail?”

“Yes, a hiking trail. Now come on.”

“Iwa-chan, this isn’t going to work, “ he gestured at the crutch tucked under his arm and then the rocky trail that was slightly inclined up.

Iwaizumi scoffed. “Who said this isn’t going to work?” He removed the backpack and gave it to Oikawa, who accepted it but just stared at it, not understanding what he was trying to do.

Oikawa just adjusted the bag on his back anyways and turned back to look at Iwaizumi, who was bent over with his arms extended backward. 

“Come on,” he said plainly, keeping his gaze forward.

“Um, Iwa-chan, I wouldn’t be opposed to this, but aren’t you going to hurt yourself?”

“It’s fine,” he waved it off, “I’m plenty strong thanks to volleyball practice.”

Oikawa smiled at the somewhat selfless gesture and climbs onto Iwaizumi’s back, holding the crutch in front of them. Iwaizumi grunts and shifts, “Holy shit. You’re heavy.”

“Mean, Iwa-chan!” he smacks the side of Iwaizumi’s head, which causes them both to sway slightly. Iwaizumi regained his footing and moves one of his arms to turn on a flashlight on his phone, lighting the way so he doesn’t trip on the various rocks and branches on the trail.

He’s situated on Iwaizumi’s back, good knee swingling freely. This situation can’t help but remind him of others like this, both of them no older than ten. When one would fall off his bike or twist an ankle, the other would insist on carrying him home. Shoes dangling from the grasp of a few fingers, legs swinging, the occasional rude side comment about weight and the feeling of trust.

Iwaizumi stops at the side of the trail suddenly, maybe a hundred feet away from the beginning of the trail and bends down to let Oikawa off. 

“It should be over here,” he said, wading through knee-deep grass that was swaying gently in the breeze. Oikawa followed suit, stepping where Iwaizumi stepped. They settled in a spot where the grass was slightly lower than the rest, and Iwaizumi reclaimed the backpack and unzipped it, the noise seeming much louder because of the quiet. 

He pulled out a large picnic blanket and arranged it on the grass as Oikawa watched silently. Once he’s done, he pats the area. “‘Kay, it’s okay now.” The two sat, eating from the now grease-soaked takeout bag, Oikawa smiling in satisfaction when he realizes that Iwaizumi did pick food that he would definitely like.

Iwaizumi set up a small lantern tucked away into the grass, giving them at least some light to see. They talk, reminiscing on old memories that they shared. Oikawa doesn’t know how long they’ve been talking for, but they could do this forever.

When he finally checks the time, it reads 9:12. Iwaizumi reaches for the light, flicking it off and leaning back on the blanket, arms propped up underneath his head. The brunet does the same. Their elbows brush, but they keep it like that.

And that’s how it is, silence hanging in the air as they stared at a black abyss of night.

“I lied,” Iwaizumi starts, at the same time that Oikawa says, “I’m sorry.”

They both look at each other, a smile tugging at Oikawa’s lips, a smirk appearing on Iwaizumi’s. After he’s certain that they’re not going to start talking at the same time again, Oikawa said, “You first.”

Iwaizumi clears his throat, “I lied. I’m sorry that I said that that night because it’s a lie.”

The other holds his breath, scared for what Iwaizumi might say.

“It’s just that I like you too. I have for a long time.”

Oikawa looks incredulous and sat up suddenly, eyes wide. “Are you serious?”

He nods. “Is it bad that I wanna punch you right now?”

Oikawa’s taken aback, mouth opening but no words coming out, just the same small noises of confusion from over the whole night.

“But with my mouth, and softly because I like you.”

And then he stops talking, Oikawa smashing his lips against his, setting his world spinning. Iwaizumi’s hand flutters up to the other’s head, fingers running through his hair, pushing the brown bangs away from his forehead. It’s everything that he could’ve imagined, no, even more.

They pulled away, still in each other’s grasp. 

“Feels like I’ve been waiting for that for a long time.”

Iwaizumi laughed. He was so happy, happier than anyone could ever know. It felt like maybe if he pinched himself hard enough, he would wake up in his bed and this would all have been a dream. 

But it wasn’t. 

“Iwa-chan, stop laughing!”

He didn’t stop laughing for a while, much to Oikawa’s dismay. Iwaizumi turned his attention away from the teen sitting next to him and to the sky above, darkness lit up with small stars.  
Almost like sugar spilled over a black surface, each light stood out against the stark ebony of the sky, twinkling without a care in the world. Shooting stars left behind a sparkling trail, purple illuminating the sky.

Oikawa followed his gaze and gasped. “It’s so beautiful,” he said, laying back onto the picnic blanket again. Iwaizumi did the same.

“Make a wish,” he whispered softly, twining his fingers together with Oikawa’s and squeezing gently.

“You too, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said back, focusing his gaze on one star that was particularly beautiful.

_I wish, that with every bone in my body, that it will always be us in the end._

Oikawa turned to look at Iwa, wondering that maybe, he just made the same wish as him. Maybe he wished that they could be together ‘til their hair turned gray and even longer than that. Maybe only time could tell.

And maybe their wishes could come true.

But for now, they laid under the starry sky, hands twisted in one another’s, bodies so close that there wasn’t any space to spare. 

As Oikawa looked into Iwaizumi’s eyes, he didn’t know what could happen later. There was only now.

And that’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i-i love them and i'm not sorry
> 
> leave kudos and comments if you want and thanks for reading!!


End file.
